Original Word: אָבָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: abah
Pronunciation: ah-VAH
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-baw')
KJV: consent, rest content will, be willing
NASB: willing, would, consent, obey, satisfied, want, would accept
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to breathe after
2. (figuratively) to be acquiescent

consent, rest content will, be willing

A primitive root; to breathe after, i.e. (figuratively) to be acquiescent -- consent, rest content will, be willing.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to be willing, to consent
NASB Translation
consent (5), obey (1), refuse* (1), refused* (1), satisfied (1), unwilling* (3), want (1), willing (23), would (16), would...accept (1), yield (1).

I. אָבָה verb be willing, consent (compare Assyrian abîtu, command, Dl^W, Ethiopic refuse, Arabic , id., Nejd be willing So^{De Jes 3, p. 26; LCB 1880, 817}) —

Qal (with לֹא, אַל except Isaiah 1:19; Job 39:9; in Hexateuch rare & only J E D, including Leviticus 26:21); Perfect אָבָה Exodus 10:27 + אָבוּ Judges 19:25 7t.; אָבוּא Isaiah 28:12 (Sta^{§ 31 R. 2}; Kö^{1, 414}); Imperfect יֹאבֶה Deuteronomy 29:19 2t.; 2 masculine singular jussive תֹּבֵא Proverbs 1:10 (Sta^{§ 143 e 1 fin}; Kö^{1, 576 f}) etc.; Participle אֹבִים Ezekiel 3:7; — be willing, followed by Infinitive with ל Exodus 10:27 29t.; without ל Deuteronomy 2:30 8t.; subject ׳י Deuteronomy 10:10; Deuteronomy 23:6; Deuteronomy 29:19; Joshua 24:10; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Kings 13:23; 2 Kings 24:4; 2Chronicles 21:7; human subject Genesis 24:5,8; Judges 19:10; 2 Samuel 2:21; 2 Samuel 13:25; 2 Samuel 14:29 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 23:16,17 = 1 Chronicles 11:18,19; 1 Chronicles 19:19; in bad sense Exodus 10:27; Deuteronomy 2:30; Deuteronomy 25:7; Judges 19:25; Judges 20:13; 2 Samuel 13:14,16; especially of perverse Israel Leviticus 26:21; Deuteronomy 1:26; 1 Samuel 15:9; Isaiah 28:12; Isaiah 30:9; Isaiah 42:24; Ezekiel 3:7 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 20:8; subject animal, רֵים Job 39:9; absolute (no Infinitive) 2 Samuel 12:17; 1 Kings 20:8; 1 Kings 22:50; compare Proverbs 6:35, of jealous man; bad sense Judges 11:17; Isaiah 30:15; good sense 1 Samuel 22:17; 1 Samuel 26:23; 1 Samuel 31:4 = 1 Chronicles 10:4; 2 Samuel 6:10; Proverbs 1:10; + finite verb Isaiah 1:19 (אִם תּאֹבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם); consent, yield to, followed by לוֺ Deuteronomy 13:9 (good sense); followed by לִי Psalm 81:12; followed by לַעֲצָתִי Proverbs 1:30; followed by accusative תּוֺכַחְתִּי Proverbs 1:25 (all in bad sense).

Overview

אָבָה (’ābâh) occurs roughly fifty-five times and describes the decisive posture of the will—either readiness or refusal. With or without the negative particle “not,” it frames some of Scripture’s most critical moments: covenant pledges, prophetic warnings, royal decisions, and personal crises.

Readiness and Consent

• Genesis 19:21 sets the tone for merciful concession: “Very well, I grant this request.” Divine willingness honors human intercession.
• Deuteronomy 10:10 shows grace within judgment: “The LORD was not willing to destroy you,” preserving Israel after the golden-calf rebellion.
• Isaiah 1:19 links willingness to blessing: “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.” Obedience grows out of a heart already inclined toward God.
• In interpersonal dealings the word pictures generous agreement, as when Lot’s plea is accepted (Genesis 19:21) or when David relinquishes moving the Ark out of reverent caution (2 Samuel 6:10).

Obstinate Refusal

• Deuteronomy 1:26 marks national rebellion: “You were unwilling to go up.” An entire generation forfeits the land through refusal.
• 1 Samuel 8:19 exposes the same pattern centuries later: “But the people refused to listen to Samuel.” Israel’s quest for a king begins in unwillingness to let God reign.
• Psalm 81:11 laments, “Israel would not submit to Me,” a refrain echoed in Jeremiah 13:10; 17:23; Zechariah 7:11. The verb becomes shorthand for covenant infidelity.
• Individual hardness is also portrayed: Jacob “refused to be comforted” (Genesis 37:35); Amnon “would not listen” to Tamar’s plea (2 Samuel 13:14); Proverbs 1:24 describes fools who spurn wisdom’s call.
• God, too, can refuse—righteously: “The LORD was not willing to forgive him” (Deuteronomy 29:20) when idolatry persisted without repentance.

Covenant Implications

Every covenant scene pairs divine willingness with human choice. Blessing depends not on bare external compliance but on a heart that is ’ābâh toward God (Isaiah 1:19). When hearts are unwilling, judgment is not arbitrary but covenantal (Jeremiah 17:23).

Prophetic Vision

Prophets plead for a shift from refusal to willingness. Their calls anticipate the new-covenant promise of Spirit-wrought obedience (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Thus the verb becomes eschatological: God will create a people who are finally willing.

Christological Fulfillment

Where Israel persistently said “We will not,” Christ said, “I desire to do Your will” (Psalm 40:8, fulfilled in Hebrews 10:7-9). His perfect willingness secures the salvation of the unwilling, transforming them from rebels to joyful servants.

Ministry Reflections

1. Preaching: Press the contrast—God’s consistent willingness to save versus humanity’s habitual refusal.
2. Counseling: Grief (Genesis 37:35) and trauma often surface as a refusal of comfort; gentle patience mirrors divine persistence.
3. Leadership: Discernment is needed to know when to concede (Genesis 19:21) and when to stand firm (2 Kings 5:16).
4. Intercession: Like Moses (Deuteronomy 10:10), plead God’s willingness over a wayward people, trusting His covenant mercy.

Key References (sample)

Genesis 24:56; 37:35 " Numbers 22:13 " Deuteronomy 1:26; 10:10; 29:20 " 1 Samuel 8:19; 15:26 " 2 Samuel 6:10; 13:14 " 2 Kings 5:16 " Job 6:7 " Psalm 77:2; 81:11 " Proverbs 1:24 " Isaiah 1:19 " Jeremiah 13:10; 17:23 " Zechariah 7:11

Summary

אָבָה traces the drama of the human will in Scripture. Blessing belongs to the willing; ruin follows the refusing. Yet the ultimate storyline is God’s unwavering willingness to redeem, culminating in Christ, who empowers His people to echo Isaiah 1:19—not merely with words, but with transformed hearts and lives.

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